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The Business of Writing: Practical Insights for Independent, Hybrid, and Traditionally Published Authors
2022 Edition
Have you written a book but don’t know how to go about getting it published? Have you published a book but are hunting for more ways to improve your bottom line? Are you looking to distribute it in additional editions or sales channels? If you have answered yes to any of these questions, this is the book you have been looking for. The Business of Practical Insights for Independent, Hybrid, and Traditionally Published Authors is the go-to guide for everyone wishing to jump-start their writing careers.
Whether you write fiction, nonfiction, screenplays, or poetry, discover the answers to such questions
—Do I really need to incorporate, what “flavor” of company should I set up, and how do I take the plunge?
—How do I manage my writing expenses and taxes?
—What is an ISBN, where do I get one, and how many will I need?
—What is an imprint and how do I establish one for my books?
—What decisions must I face in the prepublication phase?
—Do I need to register my book’s copyright and how do I accomplish it? What about using other copyrighted materials?
—How on earth do I condense my 100K-word book to a 300-word description, let alone a 20-word tagline?
—How do I select the best keywords for my book? —What makes for a great cover and how can I get one?
—What do I need to know about book formatting, print as well as digital?
—How can I turn my book into an audiobook?
—How do I develop and refine my author brand?
—How can I land invitations to speak at conferences and conventions?
—I use several pseudonymns. How do I manage them all?
—What’s an ARC? A media kit? A book trailer? A blog tour?
—Do I really need to start a blog? Send out a newsletter? Dive into social media? Give away my books?
—How do I price my book? Should I pick one price or vary it? Where are the best places to advertise my sale events? —How much is all of this going to cost me??
Don't feel overwhelmed by the publication and promotion process! Let award-winning, critically acclaimed author Kim Iverson Headlee give you the practical wisdom you need to stay on task and perhaps even come out ahead.
Have you written a book but don’t know how to go about getting it published? Have you published a book but are hunting for more ways to improve your bottom line? Are you looking to distribute it in additional editions or sales channels? If you have answered yes to any of these questions, this is the book you have been looking for. The Business of Practical Insights for Independent, Hybrid, and Traditionally Published Authors is the go-to guide for everyone wishing to jump-start their writing careers.
Whether you write fiction, nonfiction, screenplays, or poetry, discover the answers to such questions
—Do I really need to incorporate, what “flavor” of company should I set up, and how do I take the plunge?
—How do I manage my writing expenses and taxes?
—What is an ISBN, where do I get one, and how many will I need?
—What is an imprint and how do I establish one for my books?
—What decisions must I face in the prepublication phase?
—Do I need to register my book’s copyright and how do I accomplish it? What about using other copyrighted materials?
—How on earth do I condense my 100K-word book to a 300-word description, let alone a 20-word tagline?
—How do I select the best keywords for my book? —What makes for a great cover and how can I get one?
—What do I need to know about book formatting, print as well as digital?
—How can I turn my book into an audiobook?
—How do I develop and refine my author brand?
—How can I land invitations to speak at conferences and conventions?
—I use several pseudonymns. How do I manage them all?
—What’s an ARC? A media kit? A book trailer? A blog tour?
—Do I really need to start a blog? Send out a newsletter? Dive into social media? Give away my books?
—How do I price my book? Should I pick one price or vary it? Where are the best places to advertise my sale events? —How much is all of this going to cost me??
Don't feel overwhelmed by the publication and promotion process! Let award-winning, critically acclaimed author Kim Iverson Headlee give you the practical wisdom you need to stay on task and perhaps even come out ahead.
- GenresNonfiction
252 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 14, 2016
6 people are currently reading
218 people want to read
About the author
Kim Iverson Headlee
21 books340 followersOnly two generations removed from Russian nobility, Kim Headlee lives on a farm with her family, pets, fish, livestock & assorted wildlife in the Appalachian Mountains of southwestern Virginia.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
July 18, 2021
The Business of Writing is a great road-map resource for authors, especially those who intend to go indie. It’s not a magic formula or a step-by-step that takes the work out of the process. It’s more like the book form of having a few cups of coffee with Kim Iverson Headlee as she tells you what she’s learned and provides some advice as you start your own journey into self-publishing.
Who would I recommend this book to? This is a great place for any writer to start, especially if they want someone to draw them a high-level road map of what independent publishing looks like when you approach it as a business. For me, this book is a starting point, not a full-fledged instruction manual. And that’s okay, because there are so many personal choices to make when publishing that you’ll be hard-pressed to find a book that does the work for you without impeding on your own creativity and individuality as an independent publisher.
This book is like the old saying about teaching someone to fish so they can eat forever. Headlee doesn’t tell you exactly what to do (although she strongly recommends some things, such as professional editing). Instead, she offers a ton of information on what your choices are and how you can go about deciding them.
Kindle or hard copy? I bought the book in person, and I like the hard copy because I can highlight and bookmark various bits of information. But the Kindle version has a potential advantage: Headlee references a lot of sites and posts that I gather are linked in the Kindle version so readers can access them easily. She does kindly include an appendix in the hard copy (I’m not sure if this is included in the Kindle version) with all the websites, so you can find the information as needed. That alone is actually a valuable resource — the appendix runs around 40 pages in the paperback version.
Who would I recommend this book to? This is a great place for any writer to start, especially if they want someone to draw them a high-level road map of what independent publishing looks like when you approach it as a business. For me, this book is a starting point, not a full-fledged instruction manual. And that’s okay, because there are so many personal choices to make when publishing that you’ll be hard-pressed to find a book that does the work for you without impeding on your own creativity and individuality as an independent publisher.
This book is like the old saying about teaching someone to fish so they can eat forever. Headlee doesn’t tell you exactly what to do (although she strongly recommends some things, such as professional editing). Instead, she offers a ton of information on what your choices are and how you can go about deciding them.
Kindle or hard copy? I bought the book in person, and I like the hard copy because I can highlight and bookmark various bits of information. But the Kindle version has a potential advantage: Headlee references a lot of sites and posts that I gather are linked in the Kindle version so readers can access them easily. She does kindly include an appendix in the hard copy (I’m not sure if this is included in the Kindle version) with all the websites, so you can find the information as needed. That alone is actually a valuable resource — the appendix runs around 40 pages in the paperback version.
April 26, 2018
This will certainly be another aspiring author's bible but, for me, this too briefly touched upon the areas I was interested in discovering more about. The short chapters seemed far too brief for me to garner much from and I was left with more questions than answers, as terms and statements were dropped and swiftly moved on from.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, Kim Iverson Headlee, and the publisher, Pendragon Cove Press, for this opportunity.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, Kim Iverson Headlee, and the publisher, Pendragon Cove Press, for this opportunity.
May 28, 2018
Kim Iverson Headlee's "The Business of Writing" is a stellar read and an invaluable reference. "Thorough" is an understatement! With sincere and humorous ease, Headlee shares her appreciable know-how on topics ranging from S Corporations and creating your own publishing imprint to packaging, launching, and marketing your book. Seriously, you will not believe the amount of information packed into this go-to guide. You'll find yourself referring back to it again and again--it's an incredibly thorough and engaging book of business-related advice and information for authors, and an absolute must for the serious writer.
March 15, 2018
#TheBusinessOfWriting:PracticalInsightsForIndependent,Hybrid,AndTraditionallyPublishedAuthors #NetGalley
publisher synopsis: 2018 Edition
Have you written a book but don’t know how to go about getting it published? Have you published a book but are hunting for more ways to improve your bottom line? Are you looking to distribute it in additional editions or sales channels?
The Business of Writing: Practical Insights for Independent, Hybrid, and Traditionally Published Authors is the go-to guide for everyone wishing to start—or jump-start—their writing careers.
Whether you write fiction or nonfiction, discover the answers to such questions as:
—Do I really need to incorporate, what “flavor” of company should I set up, and how do I take the plunge?
—How do I manage my writing expenses and taxes?
—What is an ISBN, where do I get one, and how many will I need?
—What is an imprint and how do I establish one for my books?
—What decisions must I face in the prepublication phase?
—Do I need to register my book’s copyright and how do I accomplish it? What about using other copyrighted materials?
—How on earth do I condense my 100K-word book to a 300-word description, let alone a 20-word tagline?
—How do I select the best keywords for my book?
—What makes for a great cover and how can I get one?
—What do I need to know about book formatting, print as well as digital?
—How can I turn my book into an audiobook?
—How do I develop and refine my author brand?
—How can I land invitations to speak at conferences and conventions?
—I use several pseudonymns. How do I manage them all?
—What’s an ARC? A media kit? A book trailer? A blog tour?
—Do I really need to start a blog? Send out a newsletter? Dive into social media? Give away my books?
—How do I price my book? Should I pick one price or vary it? Where are the best places to advertise my sale events?
—How much is all of this going to cost me??
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the publication and promotion process, let award-winning, critically acclaimed author Kim Iverson Headlee give you the practical wisdom you need to stay on task and perhaps even come out ahead.
Table of Contents
PREFACE
1. ORGANIZING
1A. Lawyers, Incorporating Accountants
1B. Writing Expenses
1C. Corporate Taxes for Authors
1D. Individual Taxes for Authors
1E. The Publication Plan
1E1. Prepublication Decisions to Consider
1E2. The Book Launch
1F. Copyrighting Your Book
2. PACKAGING
2A. ISBNs and Imprints Demystified
2B. Professional Editing
2C. Using Photographs and Other Copyrighted Materials in Your Book
2D. Crafting the Book Description
2E. The Book Cover
2E1. What Makes for a Great Cover Design?
2E2. E-book Cover Specifics
2E3. The Print Edition’s Cover
2E4. The Audiobook Cover
2F. E-book and Print Book Layouts
2G. The Audiobook
2G1. The ACX Audiobook Production Process
2G2. Choosing the Right Producer for Your Audiobook
2G3. Getting Audiobook Reviews
3. PRESENTING
3A. Author Branding
3B. Pen Names
3C. On Being a Professional Writer
3C1. Correspondence
3C2. Deadlines
3C3. Personal Appearances
3D. On Labeling Yourself a Best-Selling Author
4. MARKETING
4A. The Promotion Plan
4A1. The ARC
4A2. Media Kit Overview
4A3. Social Media Overview
4A4. Blog Tours, Facebook Parties, and the Like 4A5. In-Person Events
4A6. Print Media
4A7. Audio/Visual Media (Podcasts, Radio, TV)
4A8. Book Trailers
4A9. Promotional Materials
4A10. Overview of Promotional Opportunities
4A11. Blogging Overview
4A12. Promotional Content
4B. The Author Blog
4C. Search Engine Optimization for Author-Bloggers
4D. Introduction to Amazon’s Kindle Book Previewe
4E. The Author Newsletter
4F. Email Marketing for Books
4G. How to Create a Permafree Title
4H. Using Giveaways to Market Your Book
4I. Your Book’s Media Kit
4J. On the Hunt for Book Reviews
4K. Defining Subject Headings and Keywords
4K1. BISAC Basics
4K2. Keyword Conundrum
4L. Twitter Marketing for Authors
4M. Creating and Using QR Codes for Your Book
4N. Book Pricing Strategies
4O. Digital Distribution Strategies for E-books
To say the least, this book has a wealth of knowledge. I did not know all the legal ramifications for writing a book. This book was very knowledgable and very eye opening.
I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
publisher synopsis: 2018 Edition
Have you written a book but don’t know how to go about getting it published? Have you published a book but are hunting for more ways to improve your bottom line? Are you looking to distribute it in additional editions or sales channels?
The Business of Writing: Practical Insights for Independent, Hybrid, and Traditionally Published Authors is the go-to guide for everyone wishing to start—or jump-start—their writing careers.
Whether you write fiction or nonfiction, discover the answers to such questions as:
—Do I really need to incorporate, what “flavor” of company should I set up, and how do I take the plunge?
—How do I manage my writing expenses and taxes?
—What is an ISBN, where do I get one, and how many will I need?
—What is an imprint and how do I establish one for my books?
—What decisions must I face in the prepublication phase?
—Do I need to register my book’s copyright and how do I accomplish it? What about using other copyrighted materials?
—How on earth do I condense my 100K-word book to a 300-word description, let alone a 20-word tagline?
—How do I select the best keywords for my book?
—What makes for a great cover and how can I get one?
—What do I need to know about book formatting, print as well as digital?
—How can I turn my book into an audiobook?
—How do I develop and refine my author brand?
—How can I land invitations to speak at conferences and conventions?
—I use several pseudonymns. How do I manage them all?
—What’s an ARC? A media kit? A book trailer? A blog tour?
—Do I really need to start a blog? Send out a newsletter? Dive into social media? Give away my books?
—How do I price my book? Should I pick one price or vary it? Where are the best places to advertise my sale events?
—How much is all of this going to cost me??
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the publication and promotion process, let award-winning, critically acclaimed author Kim Iverson Headlee give you the practical wisdom you need to stay on task and perhaps even come out ahead.
Table of Contents
PREFACE
1. ORGANIZING
1A. Lawyers, Incorporating Accountants
1B. Writing Expenses
1C. Corporate Taxes for Authors
1D. Individual Taxes for Authors
1E. The Publication Plan
1E1. Prepublication Decisions to Consider
1E2. The Book Launch
1F. Copyrighting Your Book
2. PACKAGING
2A. ISBNs and Imprints Demystified
2B. Professional Editing
2C. Using Photographs and Other Copyrighted Materials in Your Book
2D. Crafting the Book Description
2E. The Book Cover
2E1. What Makes for a Great Cover Design?
2E2. E-book Cover Specifics
2E3. The Print Edition’s Cover
2E4. The Audiobook Cover
2F. E-book and Print Book Layouts
2G. The Audiobook
2G1. The ACX Audiobook Production Process
2G2. Choosing the Right Producer for Your Audiobook
2G3. Getting Audiobook Reviews
3. PRESENTING
3A. Author Branding
3B. Pen Names
3C. On Being a Professional Writer
3C1. Correspondence
3C2. Deadlines
3C3. Personal Appearances
3D. On Labeling Yourself a Best-Selling Author
4. MARKETING
4A. The Promotion Plan
4A1. The ARC
4A2. Media Kit Overview
4A3. Social Media Overview
4A4. Blog Tours, Facebook Parties, and the Like 4A5. In-Person Events
4A6. Print Media
4A7. Audio/Visual Media (Podcasts, Radio, TV)
4A8. Book Trailers
4A9. Promotional Materials
4A10. Overview of Promotional Opportunities
4A11. Blogging Overview
4A12. Promotional Content
4B. The Author Blog
4C. Search Engine Optimization for Author-Bloggers
4D. Introduction to Amazon’s Kindle Book Previewe
4E. The Author Newsletter
4F. Email Marketing for Books
4G. How to Create a Permafree Title
4H. Using Giveaways to Market Your Book
4I. Your Book’s Media Kit
4J. On the Hunt for Book Reviews
4K. Defining Subject Headings and Keywords
4K1. BISAC Basics
4K2. Keyword Conundrum
4L. Twitter Marketing for Authors
4M. Creating and Using QR Codes for Your Book
4N. Book Pricing Strategies
4O. Digital Distribution Strategies for E-books
To say the least, this book has a wealth of knowledge. I did not know all the legal ramifications for writing a book. This book was very knowledgable and very eye opening.
I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
April 4, 2018
Disclaimer: I received a free copy in a Goodreads giveaway.
Jam-packed with detailed information about many aspects of writing and publishing. I'm considering dipping my foot into self-published non-fiction (language learning materials, mainly), so I wanted to read up on the process. I've browsed other guides but most were quite vague. This has specifics on lots of published-related topics. If I decide to go ahead with my publishing attempt, I have no doubt I'll be coming back to this book time and time again for advice.
I do wish the table of contents were a bit more detailed, because at least on my Kindle, you can only see the chapter level and not all the sections, which makes it more difficult to find things. Since I can search the ebook, though, it's not a deal-killer. I learned a lot from this, including things I wouldn't have even thought to ask about. Some of the specifics will get out of date quickly because tech info changes so rapidly, but since the author explains the concepts so well, you can always look up the most recent info (for example, whatever Company X's current policy on topic Y is at the moment).
Greatly exceeded my expectations. I recommend it for the huge amount of detailed info. Just about any aspect of publishing you could possibly need to get your toes wet.
Jam-packed with detailed information about many aspects of writing and publishing. I'm considering dipping my foot into self-published non-fiction (language learning materials, mainly), so I wanted to read up on the process. I've browsed other guides but most were quite vague. This has specifics on lots of published-related topics. If I decide to go ahead with my publishing attempt, I have no doubt I'll be coming back to this book time and time again for advice.
I do wish the table of contents were a bit more detailed, because at least on my Kindle, you can only see the chapter level and not all the sections, which makes it more difficult to find things. Since I can search the ebook, though, it's not a deal-killer. I learned a lot from this, including things I wouldn't have even thought to ask about. Some of the specifics will get out of date quickly because tech info changes so rapidly, but since the author explains the concepts so well, you can always look up the most recent info (for example, whatever Company X's current policy on topic Y is at the moment).
Greatly exceeded my expectations. I recommend it for the huge amount of detailed info. Just about any aspect of publishing you could possibly need to get your toes wet.
April 5, 2024
This book overwhelmed me with all of the information needed to become a successful writer. It's not just the writing process itself that is discussed, but also marketing the book, layouts for ebooks, income taxes related to your new career and more. This book is pretty much an all-in-one guide for a new writer. Really interesting.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews